100 Books Like Task Force Hogan

This is a timeless – and timely – account of the war between Athens and Sparta. 

Thucydides explores power, fear, security, and human nature—forces still central to international relations today. The concept of the "Thucydides Trap", where a rising power threatens an established one, is often cited in current discussions of U.S.-China relations.

While offering a foundational realist view of power politics and the cyclical nature of conflict, Thucydides also prompts us to ask whether such outcomes are inevitable. I find his work especially relevant today as we seek ways to temper zero-sum thinking and foster a more stable international order.

Understanding the neurochemical and neuropsychological drivers of dominance and insecurity is essential if we are to escape the trap – not by repeating history, but by learning from it.

As part of my English Literature studies, I was instantly taken by the desperation and reality of life for these very young men fighting in the trenches during WWI.

Even if poetry is not your preferred style, for anyone interested in military history, Owen’s poems describe the stark fear and appalling conditions for the soldiers and the clear incompetence of those in charge. 

They are hauntingly vivid in his descriptions of their existence and, of course, the inhumanity of war. It is particularly sad that he died as hostilities ended.

I worked closely with David to edit the book for publication. It presents a different view of ‘Operation Safe Haven’ in Iraq during the first Gulf War. Intended to help protect Iraqi Kurds from being targeted by Saddam Hussain, it involved both military and volunteer personnel of different nationalities.  

It was written by one of the British volunteer engineers and, therefore, gives a different picture of how successful the project was. Much of the writing about Operation Safe Haven suggests it was a military success but neglects to mention the crucial role played by civilians who were seen by the Kurds as less of a threat than any military personnel.

They were able to get closer to individuals in the Kurdish community, so they played an invaluable role in keeping them safe. As with the other recommended books, it is good to see a different perspective on the reality of… show more.

I am sure many will remember seeing the news footage on TV showing the little boy standing next to Saddam Hussain during the first Gulf War. He was, of course, not there by choice, as he was actually one of the hostages being held at the time. It was an interesting propaganda exercise, especially as Saddam tried to encourage Stuart to get closer but he was clearly not having it! From a PR perspective, it was unsuccessful and was not accepted as a positive image by those in the West. 

This book is written by his mother and describes just how traumatic the experience was for all the family as well as all the other families held hostage at the time. As the final book in my selection, it completes the theme of the futility of war and its impact on the individuals closest to the action. 

This book took me on a journey with a group of unlikely heroes, starting with their decision to enlist to fight in the war, following them through their training as paratroopers, and ending the conflict. Like many World War II veterans, they were volunteers. But the anticipation leading up to D-Day and the hell they went through in the woods of Bastogne was more than anyone could have ever expected.

Few histories of World War II hit me as hard as this one. As a child of the 1960s and 1970s, the war has always fascinated me. I’d read about the strategy, the epic battles, and the atrocities committed by the Axis Powers, but I’ve returned to this book many times over the past thirty years.

John C. McManus acknowledged the contribution of the film Saving Private Ryan in bringing the Normandy beaches into everyone’s consciousness. I read much of the book and especially the chapter on H-Hour as if I were on the beach crouching beside Joe Zukowski, Frank DeBellis, Howard Pearre, and so many others, crawling, walking laden with far too much equipment, bleeding from machine-gun fire that pierced knees and arms and chests, and ultimately falling.

I found, as McManus wrote: “The soldiers ... were willing to sacrifice themselves and risk death, not just for their cause, not just for the pride of their unit, but in the end, for one another.”

Many war graves in Italy are inscribed with South African names, attesting to the hard-won victories and the tragic losses of the 6th Armoured Division in Italy.

As a stickler for detail, I was impressed by Bourhill’s descriptions and meticulous attention to the minutia that makes for an immersive reading experience. It is especially the first-hand accounts of servicemen that bring this book to life and give a clear picture of what it was like to fight and live in Italy during the war.  

The book tells the story of tanker Clarence Smoyer, who served with the Third Armored Division during the last months of World War II in Europe. Makos expertly tells the personal story of the soldier and his tank as the unit thrust into Germany in early 1945. Smoyer’s tank is involved in a famous one-on-one duel with a German tank in Cologne. It's a thrilling read!

I think it is only natural to include an autobiography in a list like this, and Bruno Friesen's book is compelling to me for several reasons, mainly because he was a Canadian who ended up in the German Army.

Friesen talks about these curious circumstances honestly and with good humour, and the book transitions quickly from light-hearted reminiscences to a really very good technical study of what it was like to fight in tanks on the Eastern Front.

I thought the book illustrated well how an individual could fight against the multiple dehumanizing forces of modern war and come out the other end with spirit intact. The book juxtaposes well the helplessness of men fighting in machines with their human survival instincts.

Herdegen’s fairly new history of the Iron Brigade, published in 2012, rightfully supplants Alan Nolan’s classic history, The Iron Brigade.

Published some 60 years after Nolan’s history and coming in at 656 pages, Herdegen is able to include previously unpublished archival material, letters, photos, journals, and other primary sources. Where Nolan’s history basically stops after the battle of Gettysburg, Herdegen’s book tells the history of the Iron Brigade all the way to Appomattox and beyond; including information about memorial and reunion activity.

Herdegen’s extension of the story of the Iron Brigade into the 1864 Overland campaign through Petersburg and Appomattox provides an important element to its story that has been given short shrift in many of the previous works on the Iron Brigade.

As somebody who tends to use too many quotations in my writing, I appreciate that Herdegen frequently uses quotes. I like hearing the “voice” and reading… show more.